One Health is the collaborative effort of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally to attain sustainable optimal health for the ecosystem*. It is a cultural and behavioral concept with socioeconomic elements and impact.

*a biological community of living organisms (humans, animals, plants, and microbes) and their physical environment interacting as a system

Italo Zecca

Determining the prevalence of Chagas Disease in the Rio
Grande Valley region of the Texas-Mexico border

Italo Zecca, a Texas A&M University PhD candidate in
Biomedical Sciences, attended the 2016 American Public Health
Association Annual Meeting & Expo in Orlando, Florida,
October 29–November 2, 2016. He presented a poster that detailed
his research regarding the identification of existing cases of
Chagas disease in dogs and humans of impoverished communities along
the Texas-Mexico border. Italo was mentored by Dr.
Sarah Hamer, Assistant Professor in the department of
Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine
& Biomedical Sciences.

“Attending the internationally renowned and recognized American
Public Health Association (APHA) conference in Denver, Colorado was
one of the top accomplishments of my academic career,” Italo said
of his experience. “I had the opportunity to attend seminars given
by public health experts and observe the important impact the One
Health concept has on society. In addition to seminars, I was able
to meet many researchers during poster presentations and engage in
intellectual conversations which will benefit my future endeavors.
At the APHA conference informational booths, I was able to network
with individuals and potential collaborators from entities
including the Pan American Health Organization, World Health
Organization, and the Department of Homeland Security,” he
continued. “By forming connections with members from prestigious
entities engaged by my research, I plan to expand the One Health
capacity of my current and future research at Texas A&M.”

“The One Health Travel Award granted me the opportunity to
present my research to a broader audience and expand my
professional network,” Italo concluded. “Through this award, I was
able to gain knowledge from public health experts whom are creating
innovative research to further the well-being of society through
One Health.”

“Italo is leading our team’s mission to mitigate Chagas disease
along the US-Mexico border,” Dr. Hamer said. “By
simultaneously examining the burden of exposure to Trypanosoma
cruzi in both humans and their pet dogs, Italo will evaluate
the degree to which pet dog infection is predictive of human
infection as a first step in disease prevention. We suspect that
dogs will indeed serve as sentinels for human disease risk given
their shared exposure to environments with infected vectors.
Italo’s deep understanding and respect for the culture and
communities in the Rio Grande Valley has been our key to success,
and he has designed and disseminated lots of culturally competent
outreach materials resulting in an empowered public.”